Psych Exam Review Notes PDF

# Psych Exam Review ## Mo. M.C **1. Why are children who come from higher socioeconomic homes more likely to be successful than children who come from middle or lower socioeconomic homes?** - Because children in high socioeconomic homes hear 2100 words per hour while those in low hear 600 words pe...

# Psych Exam Review ## Mo. M.C **1. Why are children who come from higher socioeconomic homes more likely to be successful than children who come from middle or lower socioeconomic homes?** - Because children in high socioeconomic homes hear 2100 words per hour while those in low hear 600 words per hour and those in middle hear 1200 words per hour. **2. Biologically speaking, what is a low psychological age?** - Low psychological age indicates an underdeveloped ability in regulating emotions, adapting to changes, and handling challenges. **3. What are the psychological conditions associated with cognitive distortions?** - Depression and anxiety **4. Why do researchers believe that if you sleep on it, you will feel better in the morning?** - Sleep is the only period where your body is devoid of norepinephrine (anxiety & triggers), which causes us to feel better when we get up. **5. What is the only brain region where neurogenesis occurs?** - Hippocampus **6. What are the consequences of sleep deprivation?** - Decline in cognitive focus, attention, problem-solving skills. Increase in stress levels, irritability, impaired immune function. **7. What brain regions become active during REM?** - Prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala. **8. What do researchers consider necessary childhood experiences?** - Early language development, attachment, self-regulation **9. The MAOA gene is linked to increased levels of violence and aggression. There is a Robust variant and sensitive variant of this gene. What makes it more likely that a child will become aggressive, violent, and potentially criminal?** - Congenital MAOA deficiency and low activity MAOA variants. **10. As a behavioural modification strategy, many parents use the "count to three" method to ensure compliance. Why is this often a failed strategy and for what reason?** - It shows negotiation and intensifies the situation. **11. What are the big five characteristics of personality descriptions?** 1. **Extraversion:** Gain energy in social situations - Sociability. 2. **Openness:** Receptivity to new ideas and experiences. 3. **Conscientiousness:** Responsible, adhere to norms/values, disciplined. 4. **Agreeableness:** Honest, kind, considerate. 5. **Neuroticism:** Anxious, stressed, self-doubt. **12. Explain the difference between internal and external locus of control?** - **Internal:** Belief that individuals have control over their own actions and outcomes. - **External:** Belief that external factors/luck dictate one's fate. **13. Women experience an increase in neuroticism during and after puberty. What are some environmental experiences that could make this experience less or more impactful?** - Increased neuroticism for females during puberty because there is a negative emotionality that becomes directed towards their body. Males become a physical threat, become sexually vulnerable, more sensitive to judgement. **1. What is one of the biggest risk factors for addiction?** - Access to drugs/alcohol. **15. What is BDNF and what does it do?** - A gene that promotes the survival of nerve cells by helping them grow, mature, and maintain themselves. **16. What is CBT?** - Cognitive behavioral therapy. **17. Which groups do they find to be most vulnerable to modifiable behavioral risk factors?** - Adults and adolescents in lower and middle-income areas. **18. What percentage of people have an optimism bias? How does it affect their perception?** - 80-85. Fools us into thinking that negative consequences are unlikely to happen. **19. In what order do forebrain, hindbrain, and midbrain develop?** - Hindbrain, Midbrain, and forebrain. **20. What reflexes do we associate with the medulla?** - Regulates heart rate, controls breathing, yawning, swallowing, gagging, vomiting, laughing, coughing, blinking, sneezing. **21. What are the three components of the motivational triad?** - Seek pleasure, avoid pain, conserve energy. **22. What are the six psychological approaches to development?** - **Psychodynamic:** unconscious processes, behavioral - observable behavioral & external stimuli, humanistic - personal worth & human value, cognitive - enhances mental processes, contextual - relationship between individuals and their physical, cognitive, and social worlds, evolutionary - focuses on the study of human development from an evolutionary point of view. **23. What are the three processes involved in development?** - Physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development. **24. Which childhood disorder do researchers associate with criminality?** - Conduct disorder **25. What things can you do to reduce cortisol?** - Music therapy, massage therapy, laugh, regular dancing, omega-3's. **26. Why is early attachment important?** - Humans require high levels of social and physical connectedness with a parent during the first couple of years. **27. Why do some children in orphanages develop reactive attachment disorder while others don't?** - Length of neglect (long or short). **28. What things increase cortisol?** - Viruses, caffeine, sleep deprivation, severe trauma, anorexia. **29. What is the human version of morphine?** - Endorphins **30. On what neurotransmitter do anti-anxiety medications act?** - Serotonin. **31. What is a sensitive period?** - The blood windows of opportunity for certain types of learning. **32. What is a critical period?** - A narrow window of time during which a specific part of the body is most vulnerable to the presence or absence of stimulation or to environmental influences. **33. What does FASD stand for?** - Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. **34. What hormone helps humans connect to other humans?** - Oxytocin **35. What are some of the critical periods in development?** - Emotional control, habitual ways of responding, peer social skills, language. **36. What neurotransmitter do we associate with anticipation?** - Dopamine **37. What disorders do we associate with serotonin?** - Depression, sleep disorder, eating disorder, OCD, anxiety, high levels of optimism. **38. What problem is an undersupply of acetylcholine associated with?** - Alzheimer's. **39. What is teratology?** - The study of what causes birth defects (physical and psychological). **40. Which characteristics do researchers find to be the most predictive of future success?** - Self-regulation. **41. What are some examples of different types of neurons?** - Cell body (soma), dendrites, axon (transmit), myelin sheath. **42. What does prodromal mean?** - Relating to or denoting the period between the appearance of initial symptoms and the full development of a rash or fever. **43. Why is physical and mental activity good for myelin?** - Helps strengthen the myelin. **44. Why is myelin important?** - It acts as insulation and helps conduct electrical impulses faster. **45. In simple terms, what is a neuron's job?** - Receive, process, and send messages **46. Approximately, how many neurons do humans have at birth?** - 80 billion **47. During what time is brain, spinal cord, and nervous system critical?** - The first month of pre-natal. **48. What is thalidomide?** - A sedative drug also known as a teratogen. **49. What experience(s) have the same or greater effect on child development than abuse/neglect?** - Poverty. **50. When do structural problems occur during development?** - Early in development. **51. What is the greatest consequence of FASD?** - Impaired brain development. **52. Does childhood trauma, abuse, or neglect alter a child's genes?** - Yes. **53. What does "oxytocin is a reciprocal relationship" mean?** - Oxytocin plays a key role in the attachment process. **54. How much smaller are the brains of abused/neglected children?** - 20-30% smaller than most children. **55. What affects how much pain someone might experience?** - Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. **56. Which neurotransmitter does marijuana have the greatest impact?** - Dopamine. ## Matching **57. Identify which neurotransmitter are excitatory, inhibitory, or both?** | Neurotransmitter | Type | |:---|:---| | GABA | Inhibitory | | Glutamine | Excitatory | | Acetylcholine | Excitatory/Inhibitory | | Norepinephrine | Excitatory/Inhibitory | | Serotonin | Inhibitory | | Dopamine | Excitatory/Inhibitory | **58. Know the theories of; Carl Rogers, Charles Darwin, Maslow, Piaget, Freud, Erikson, Wilder Penfield, Bandura, Pavlov, Skinner?** - **Rogers:** Self-actualization theory. - **Darwin:** Ethological theory/approach. - **Maslow:** Hierarchy of needs. - **Piaget:** Cognitive development theory. - **Freud:** Psychosexual stages. - **Erikson:** Stages of development. - **Penfield:** Mapped the cerebral cortex. - **Bandura:** Social learning theory. - **Pavlov:** Classical conditioning theory. - **Skinner:** Operant conditioning theory. ## Short Answer **a. Make a list of all the psychological, social, and cultural issues that could be the result of human growth and development that has not gone optimally. Consider all the areas that are listed? How do they relate to human psychological development?** **Psychological:** - Low self-esteem - Anxiety disorders - Depression - Behavioral problems - Cognitive challenges **Social:** - Social withdrawal - Poor social skills - Bullying or victimization - Aggression/violence - Dependency **Cultural:** - Ethnic/racial conflict - Stereotype threat - Gender role conflict - Social inequality - Cultural displacement **Addiction:** - Attachment issues - Difficulty maintaining relational conflict - Relationships - Religious conflict - Trauma-related criminal behavior - Hierarchy of needs, cognitive development - Social learning theory, Attachment theory. **b. Create a chart explaining the difference between REM and non-REM dreams?** | Feature | Non-REM | REM | |---|---|---| | Emotional tone | More positive/neutral | More negative emotionally | | Memory | Easy to recall | People with depression go directly intoREM | | Length | Short | Longer (like being awake) up to 5x (compared to REM) | | Timing | Early in the night | Later in the night | | Benefits | Helps us learn | Related to creativity (40% increase in REM) | **c. Name the four jobs of the glial cells** 1. Surround and hold neurons in place. 2. Make the nutrient chemicals that the neurons need. 3. Absorb waste and toxins. 4. Guide neurons to their proper location during prenatal development **d. Name the six steps in neurotransmission.** 1. Synthesis - chemical molecules formed. 2. Storage - stored in synaptic vesicles. 3. Release - electric current stimulates release. 4. Binding - molecules cross and bind to receptor sites. 5. Deactivation. **e. Label the four major parts of the neuron and give two jobs for each part.** - **Soma:** Keeps the neuron alive (biochemical structures). Genetic info determines how the cell develops and functions. - **Dendrites:** Receive electrochemical messages from other neurons; emerge from the soma - **Axon:** Extends from one side of the soma; conducts electrical impulses away from the soma to other neurons or glands. - **Myelin:** Acts as insulation; helps conduct electrical impulses faster.